The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) says it will soon complete a facility that will provide all the services needed by victims of domestic violence.

The one-stop facility is expected to help stop the usual frustration of victims narrating their ordeals to various service providers at different locations.

DOVVSU Co-ordinating Director, Chief Superintendent Owusuaa Kyeremeh who disclosed this to Joy News said her outfit is doing all within its means to stop the menace of defilement and rape.

“It is one stop shop where we will have a police station, juvenile cell, social welfare officer as well as a place for doctors and nurses.

“The concept is that when victims walk into the facility, they will have access to all these people and don’t have to be retelling their story to different people,” she explained.

The new facility will be a welcome relief as DOVVSU has come under a lot of criticisms from civil society and the general public for not doing enough for victims thereby frustrating their efforts to seek help.

According to some critics, many victims get discouraged and do not report their cases due to the several processes, people and places they have to go to and be retelling their story.

Between 2015 and 2016, about 1,900 cases were reported which the Unit said 1,100 are yet to be resolved.

Explaining why some of the victims are yet to seek justice, Chief Supt. Kyeremeh said most of them get frustrated and fail to pursue the case.

“Also, going to court is about evidence so if you haven’t built a good docket, you cannot go to court. A bad docket will let the accused off the hook,” she said.

She also reacted to the rising defilement cases. 

In 2010, there were over 900 reported cases of defilement which shot up to more than 1000 the following year until 2015.  

According to her, calls for a more punitive measure to check the rising cases should be directed at the legislature as the police do not have the mandate for that.